Lighting Design Resources

Independent Comparisons of Lighting Simulation Software

The links below point to external pages that compare
Radiance based simulations with simulations by other
software, and validations of Radiance simulations
relative to physical reality.

Real and Synthetic Image Comparison and Validation
National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), USA.
Comparison data between real world measurements and
synthetical images generated with Radiance, that
can also be used to validate other simulation systems.

Comparison of simulation software
Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
A study trying to determine the realism and accuracy that can be
reached by a casual user of Lightscape, Inspirer, and Radiance.

The Next Dimension
Honours Research by Russel Maunder, Victoria University,
Wellington, New Zealand.
A comparison between Inspirer, Rayfront and Lightscape,
with a focus on working procedures in architectural practises.
As with most such comparisons, the results of either program
weren't optimized to the extent that would be possible for
an expert user. It is rather shown what a user with small to
medium experience can reach within a very restricted time frame.

Comparative Evaluation of Daylighting Software Programs
Ubbelohde, S. and Humann, C.
1998 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Proceedings (American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy).
A scientific research paper that compares the accuracy of
Lumen Micro, Radiance, Lightscape, and Superlite in
a complex daylighting situation.